The Straits Times announced the decision on Thursday, with its editors saying that Jokowi’s "grounded personality, ability to connect with people [and] empathy with the common folk have won him many admirers at home” and praising his "ability to gaze beyond the horizon and grapple with strategic challenges facing his country and the region”.

“Thank you. It’s an honour not only for me, but also for Indonesia,” he posted on social media, garnering over half a million likes on Instagram, and thousands of congratulatory messages on Twitter and Facebook.

Presidential spokesman Fadjroel Rachman told The Straits Times that Mr Joko was “very happy” and “truly thankful” for the award, which the president said was for Indonesians.

“I went to the palace to meet him and he was smiling happily. He said the award was truly a year-end gift for Indonesia, a gift for five years of hard work,” Mr Fadjroel said to The Straits Times.

A crowd of supporters cheering Mr Joko Widodo in Jakarta after the presidential election in April. Image: ST PHOTO/ARIFFIN JAMAR

The Straits Times editors unanimously picked Mr Joko, 58, for “his “dexterity and nous in navigating the tricky cross-currents of domestic politics and international affairs”.

They praised him for his role in putting Indonesia at the heart of the 10-member regional bloc, Asean, in recent times, through the “Asean Outlook on the Indo-Pacific”.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo sharing a toast with South Korean President Moon Jae-in (left) at a welcome banquet at the Asean-Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit in Busan last week. Image: EPA/EFE

The document maintains the grouping’s position of neutrality amid growing rivalry between China and the United States for supremacy in the region. It was endorsed and adopted by the bloc at the Asean Summit in Bangkok in June.

The presidential spokesman added: “In our desire to develop the economy, we must also defend democracy. Mr Jokowi has said that it’s our aim to make Indonesia an example of how democracy and economic prosperity can work in parallel.”